-----------------------------------------------24 September – 1 October 2007-----------------------------------------------

Indonesian man dies from bird fluA 21-year-old man from West Jakarta has died from bird flu, taking the country's death toll to 86, according to the Indonesian health ministry (source: Reuters).

-----------------------------------------------17–23 September 2007-----------------------------------------------

New device 'detects bird flu in 30 minutes'Scientists in Singapore have made a hand-held device that they say is faster and cheaper than existing tests for the H5N1 virus. They say the device can detect bird flu in humans from throat swabs in 30 minutes (source: BBC).

Africa experiencing decreased bird flu fundingA slump in funding for bird flu measures from international donors could hamper Africa's ability to deal with the disease, an African Union official has said (source: Agence France Presse).

-----------------------------------------------10–16 September 2007-----------------------------------------------

Indonesia taking 'six strategic steps' to control bird fluIndonesia is taking six strategic steps to improve bird flu control in line with UN recommendations, including communicating with the public, according to a government minister. He made the comments at an avian flu meeting in Bali between the Indonesian government and key international partners. Around 150 health experts from 11 countries attended the meeting, culminating in a draft three-year programme to help Indonesia control the virus' spread (source: Xinhua).

Indonesia to start making TamifluIndonesia will start producing the bird flu drug Tamiflu this year to avoid reliance on imports in the event of a further spread of the H5N1 virus (source: Xinhua).

Bird flu fatality rate at 61 per centBird flu has a fatality rate of 61 per cent in humans, according to the WHO's Western Pacific regional director. He said six out of ten people who contracted the virus worldwide have died and emphasised the need for improved response measures (source: Yonhap News Agency).

-----------------------------------------------3–9 September 2007-----------------------------------------------

Indonesia denies human to human H5N1 spreadIndonesia's health minister has denied any human to human H5N1 transmission in the country, following a statistical study that indicated this was likely to have already occurred in the country. The minister said there was no epidemiological evidence or virology report corroborating this and that, if it had happened, thousands would have died (source: Xinhua).

H5N1 'largely confined to domestic birds'The H5N1 virus is mainly confined to domesticated poultry and not wild birds, according to the UN. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reviewed tests of wild birds from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe between 2005 and 2007. They found no evidence of bird flu infection (source: The Associated Press).